KSP and open day in my school

[deadshot462]

Make a list of common misconceptions about space travel that have been perpetrated by movies / shows / media:

-Noise in space

-Having to constantly fire your engine to keep moving

-Inability to perform "star wars" style flights where the ship moves around like a jet in the vicinity of another object

-Traveling in a straight line to a target

-No gravity in space (free fall is the reason for weightlessness, there is still gravity in space)

-Anything else you can think of

Make it relate to the game so that they don't think the game follows movie physics.

[magnemoe]

I'd consider using MechJeb at least for the correct launch to orbit. It's easier for you to talk when you're not actually having to control the ship.

Also, if at all possible get some other computers and install the KSP Demo on them. Print out a controls "Cheat Sheet" - just WASDQE, Shift and Control, Space, and M will do it. Sit the Kerbal 5 on the pad and let people try and reach orbit themselves. Assuming you're a student, you might want a teacher around to make sure no one person hogs the computer for the whole session.

I agree with the mechjeb idea, it let you explain that is going on, like the gravity turn and circulate burn,

It also let you warp past the boring stuff without chances of accidents.

One option to landing is an Apollo 8 flyby, perhaps with an powered landing just to show it.

[Javster]

Have a simple, basic manned LKO able rocket, and launch it into orbit, then show them the effects of forces/thrust on the orbit.

[Dispatcher]

Since today is "tomorrow", good luck!

[Xaelath]

Good luck on your presentation!

[Reeposter]

In short - I'm veeeery dissapointed. I was not allowed - even once to say something, what is going on the screen...

In the class there were few other presentations - typical for this kind of events, like experiment with pressure (baloon in plastic bottle, which is drowning, when you squeeze bottle), thermodynamics (trying to burn paper which is soaking in water) etc. KSP was only "background", so only for time to time some students turned their heads to see what is going on. Only at the end teacher said "look, we have landed for X time! Let's plant our flag (flag with school logo)."

I launched maybe 10 rockets - 5 landed on Mun, one crashed into Mun surface, because it was too dark to see terrain , I was really bored, so I decided to land also on Minimus, and Duna... but then gravity of Ike catched me, so I was supposed to land on this moon for the first time

I killed 4 Kerbals (2 on Kerbins atmosphere, 2 on Mun) and one was killed by friend, who wanted to test "jetpack" on Ike surface, and then suddenly... hug to the mountain xD

But every cloud's got a silver lining - I realized, how cool is playing KSP on projector - I felt like someone who is working for space agency

Mission complete.... for the 4th time

Some situations requires special equipment I really like this mousepad, maybe because it have printed my artwork on it

Aaaand remember - don't spray compressed air on baloon, when behind it lies candle XD I wanted to freeze water in baloon, but suddenly it blows up and bench began to burn... Now my eyebrows are a little scorched

[kurja]

You weren't allowed to speak?!? There were other presentations going on in the same room?

[Rowsdower]

Sounds like you were dealt a crummy hand with the actual presentation, but the fact that you went about doing it in the first place is nothing short of smile-inducing. I hope you had fun up there, especially being able to play KSP on a projection screen.

[Xacktar]

Sorry that it didn't work out as expected, but maybe someone will look up the game later and learn something, you never know!

(PS: Hope your eyebrows grow back. XD)

[CaptainKipard]

Why didn't they let you speak?

[The Jedi Master]

Uh, isn't speaking, ya know, the point of a presentation?!

[HafCoJoe]

Talk about why Jets are much more efficient than rockets.

- I.E. Jets carry fuel to burn and push the air present through themselves and Rockets carry both fuel AND all the air!

[Motokid600]

Yea.. why didn't they let you speak?

EDIT: You should've maxed out the volume when you lit up those KWboosters. That would've turned some heads. Or better yet brought a set of sub woolfers.

Edited March 28, 2014 by Motokid600

[Reeposter]

I think that time is the key to "resolve" this question - when group comes I was launching new rocket. After they waded through all presentations I was landing on Mun and this "algorithm" was repeated for several times. I'm really sad, because I can see potential of this presentation... it looked like I wasn't in schedule or something . As I said few posts ago I engaged friend to help with calculations - it cames to this, that he didn't had any work to do

My ultra mission to show "reallity" of space flights failed

arrr... maybe I will use this knowledge to make new youtube ksp series addressed to younger audience in the future

Edited March 28, 2014 by Reeposter

[cantab]

Seems a bit odd that they didn't let you talk about it. Maybe because it's something not on the science curriculum?

Still, at least it set a bit of ambience.

[Dispatcher]

I'm disappointed that you were not able to engage the groups as you had intended. It seems there may have been some sort of misunderstanding on the part of the school? Perhaps in the future the school will have another event in which you may make a proper presentation.

[DisarmingBaton5]

It sucks that you were not allowed to speak. That seems like a bad way to run an event of that nature.